NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Kourosh

A Persian masculine given name meaning "the sun".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kourosh is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kourosh popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 8 births.

This profile covers 72 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 71 living people in the UK are called Kourosh. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kourosh ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2012, when 8 boys were registered as Kourosh.
  • About 71 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kourosh as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2012

8 births

Estimated living

71

2026

Meaning

What does Kourosh mean?

The name Kourosh has its origins in the Persian language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Old Persian word "Kurush," which means "sun" or "brightness." The name was initially associated with the Achaemenid Empire, one of the most influential empires of antiquity, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from the Indus River to the Mediterranean Sea between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE.

One of the most renowned figures to bear the name Kourosh was Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Born in 590 BCE, Cyrus the Great was a powerful ruler known for his military conquests, administrative skills, and respect for religious and cultural diversity. He is mentioned in various ancient texts, including the Hebrew Bible, where he is portrayed as the liberator of the Jewish people from Babylonian captivity.

The name Kourosh has also been mentioned in ancient Persian literature, such as the Shahnameh, the epic poem written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century CE. In this literary work, Kourosh is depicted as a wise and just ruler, embodying the ideals of Persian kingship.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Kourosh. One such individual was Kourosh II, also known as Cyrus the Younger, who lived in the 5th century BCE and was a prince of the Achaemenid Empire. He attempted to seize the throne from his older brother, Artaxerxes II, but was ultimately defeated and killed in the Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BCE.

Another prominent figure was Kourosh III, or Cyrus the Younger, who ruled over a region of the Achaemenid Empire in the late 5th century BCE. He is known for his successful military campaigns against the Greeks and his efforts to maintain control over the territories under his governance.

In more recent times, the name Kourosh has been carried by individuals such as Kourosh Yazdani, an Iranian painter and sculptor born in 1944, who gained recognition for his contemporary artistic works reflecting Persian culture and traditions.

Additionally, Kourosh Salehi, born in 1948, was an Iranian film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to the Iranian cinema, particularly in the post-revolutionary era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kourosh over time

The chart below shows babies named Kourosh registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kourosh, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kourosh
02468199720102024

Decades

Kourosh by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kourosh was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4613 7 2
2010s #3514 35 7
2000s #3180 23 6
1990s #2639 7 2

Related

Names similar to Kourosh

FAQ

Kourosh: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kourosh in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kourosh was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Kourosh most popular?

The peak year on record was 2012, with 8 babies registered as Kourosh in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kourosh?

A Persian masculine given name meaning "the sun".

How many people are called Kourosh in the UK?

A total of 72 babies have been registered as Kourosh across the 17 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.